Detection ofspecies in different types of samples from dairy farms.

Abstract

BACKGROUND: Livestock, domestic pets and wildlife can be intestinal carriers of thermotolerantspecies. These reservoirs can in turn contaminate the environment and food products, thus creating pathways to campylobacteriosis in human beings. The purposes of this study were to investigate sampling strategies applied for surveillance ofon dairy cattle farms and to identify the presence and species ofin different age groups. METHODS: Boot sock and faecal samples were collected from five dairy herds from three age groups-cows, heifers and calves younger than 12 months-and from milk filters. RESULTS: species were isolated in 152 of 250 samples, of which 93 isolates were identified as, 51 as, two asand one as, whereas five isolates could not be identified to species level.species were isolated from 86 of 110 faecal samples, 60 of 97 sock samples and six of 43 milk filter samples. CONCLUSION: Faecal samples were the optimal sample type for detection ofon dairy farms. However, taking multiple types of samples could be recommended in order to optimise the recovery rate and variety ofspecies detected when investigating the presence ofon dairy farms.